Improvement in elevators



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P. W. MELLEN.

I Elevators. "No. 137,464'. ParentedAprilmas,

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P. W. MELLEN.

Elevators. N0. 137,464, Patented April 1, 187s.

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UNITED STATESl PATENT OEEICE.

PETER W. MELLEN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENTIN ELEVATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 137,464, dated April 1,1873; application filed A November 21, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER W. MELLEN, of the city and county of St. Louisand State of Missouri, have invented certain Improvements in Elevators,of which the following is a specication:

My invention consists, first, in the arrangement, in connection with thecheck-rope of the elevator, of a rock-shaft, to which is keyed an arm,the end of which is connected to links whose ends are jointed tobrackets attached tothe check-rope, so that the rope does not partake ofthe side movement of the end of the arm to which it is connected, saidrockshaft being provided with an arm connecting by a cross-bar with thereversing-lever keyed on the stem of the forked arm that operates thereversing-valves, so that when the operator pulls the check-rope theengines can be stopped or reversed, as desired, or, when at rest,started; second, in the arrangement on the hoisting-drum shaft of aWorm-wheel which is driven by a worm-screw on the crank-shaft of theengines, the object of which is to obviate, in lowering heavy loads, theexcessive speed and heavy strain that are thrown on the engine wherecog-gearing or belts are used to drive the hoisting-drum, as the screwtakes up all the thrust ofthe drum and acts as a brake to preventexcessive speed; third, in the arrangement of the hoisting-drum looselyon its shaft and providing it with circularly-arran ged .ratchet-teeth,in which engage spring pawls or dogs pivoted to a hub which is keyed onthe drum-shaft; the purpose of this arrangement is to prevent unwindingof the hoisting-rope from the drum, when the elevator is stopped iu itsdescent by any accidental cause, the shaft on which the drum is mountedbeing allowed to freely rotate'while the Vdrum is held stationary by thebrake, which is always applied When the platform is not being raised;fourth, in the arrangement onthe rock-shaft above described of agroovedpulley to which is attached a cord connected to a weightedbrake-lever, so that when operating the checkropes to cause the elevatorto ascend the grooved pulley will take up a portion of the cord and liftthe brake-lever and prevent the brake from acting on the drum, and whenthe check-rope is operated for descent of the elevator the brake will bethrown automatically into action by releasing its weighted lever; iifth,to the safety mechanism on the platform. This consists of a pair of dogswhose upper ends are pivoted in the top cross-bar of the hoister, andwhich are connected together by a horizontally-extending spring whichpasses through the strap of the hoisting-rope, which strap passes aroundthe said cross-bar in such a manner as to have free vertical play ormovement thereon, when the platform is not sustained by the rope; whenthe latter is the case the center of the spring connecting the dogs israised, and the lower ends of the dogs are th us drawn back from thevertical safety-racks extending up the insides of the verticalguideposts of the platform.

Figure 1 is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a detail rear elevation ofdrum, driving-screw, &c. Fig. 3 is a transverse section at line X X.Fig. 4 is detail axial section of steamcylinder and valves. Fig. 5 is afacesection of reversing-valve at line X X. Fig. 6 is au elevation ofcylinder-ports. Fig. 7 Vis a face view of reversing-valve.

A are the cylinders of two engines set at half-stroke in relation toeach other so as to carry over dead-centers.7

There is nothing novel claimed in the pistons or pitmen nor cranks.

The cylinder valve-seatB of each cylinder has two steam-ports, b b1, andan exhaust-port, b2. On this seat works an oscillating valve, C, havingon the side toward the cylinder four ports, c cl 02 c3, and on the otherside two segmental ports, c4 c5, oA1 being in communication with c1 o2,and c5 with c c3. The outer face of the valve C forms the seat of thecircular concave-convex slide-valve D, which operates to put the portsc4 c5 alternately iu communication with the interior of the steam-chestE and with the exhaust-port b2. The valve D is operated by usualvalve-stems and eccentrics on the main or crank shaft F. By means of theoscillating valve C and its ports c c1 c2 c3 04 o5 the engine can beeither reversed or stopped, the stoppage of the engine being effected bybringing the flat portions c6 of the valve C over the ports b bl of thecylinder, and thereby shutting off steam from the same. To reverse theengine, (when the cylinders of the same are alternately receiving andexhausting steam through the ports c4 c1 b and c5 c3 121,) the valve Cis oscillated so as to bring the ports c 02 in communication with thecylinder-ports b t1, respectively. The steam will then alternately enteran exhaust from the steam-cylinder through ports c3 c b and c4 c2 b1,and if' before the reversing the piston of the cylinder is on itsdown-stroke, and the cylinder receiving steam through ports c4 c1 b, andexhausting through ports b1 c3 c5, as indicated in Fig. 4, then, byoscillating the valve C so as to bring ports c c2 into communicationwith cylinderports b b1, the live steam will enter port 0 4 and passthrough ports c2 b1 into the lower part of the steam-cylinder, and movethe piston back before it has nished its stroke, and thus the reversingof the engine is achieved. The face of the valve C may be depressed orsunk at C1 to partly equalize the steam-pressure and lessen thefriction. The valve (l turns on a circular flange, G2, occupying thecircular rabbet in the exhaust-port b2. The valves C are operated bystems h h1, to which are keyed forked arms h2, engaging in lugs G3 onthe valve C. The stems h h1 are connected together in the hub of thereversing-lever H by set-screws, so as to allow adjustment of valves (lon their seats. h4 is a stop guide for lever H. G is an arm keyed on thehorizontal rockshaft G1, connecting with reversing-lever H byconnecting-rod h3. G2 is an arm keyed on the rock-shaft G1, connectingwith check-rope G3 by means of links g and hubs g1. g are jointed bothto the lever G2 and also to the hubs or brackets g1, so as to permit theside movement of the end of the lever G2 (in its oscillation) to' takeplace without drawing the rope G3 from side to side, and therebydisplacing it and changing its tension. I is a disk or other suitablevalve arranged in the steam-supply pipe, the stem of which is providedwith an arm, t', which is operated by the reversing-lever H throughtheconnecting-rod t. The purpose o f this arrangement is toautomatically shut off steam from the steamchest when the engine is atrest, and thereby prevent the excessive steam-pressure on the valve (l,and lessen the friction of the same, met with in operating saidreversing-valve C, and at the same time prevent the condensing of thesteam in the steam-chest, &c. J is an endless screw upon the main orcrank shaft F, which drives a worm-wheel, J1, keyed on the shaft j ofthe hoisting-drum J2. The drum J2, 011 which the hoisting-rope is wound,is mounted loosely on its shaft j. J 3 is a hub keyed on the shaft j,which is provided lwith spring pawls lor dogs j1, which engage in thecircular ratchet j2, formed on the drum J2. K is a grooved pulleysecured to the shaft G1; said pulley carries a cord, 7c, passing oversuitable The links' pulleys to connect with the weighted leverarm K1 ofthe brake. k is the brake-band pivoted in standard K2, passing under thedrum and secured to the end of the lever K1. By this arrangement thebrake is automatically brought into action when the elevatorplatform isdescending or at rest, and is thrown out of action when the elevator isascending by the grooved pulley K and cord 7c lifting the brake-leverK1. L is the top cross-bar of the elevator, to which the wire rope isattached by means of the sliding strap L1. L2 are straight dogs pivotedin the cross-bar L, the ends of which engage in ratchet-bars L3, securedto the guide-posts L1of the elevator. lisaspring passing through thestrap L1, the ends of which are secured to the dogs L2, and keep themout of engagement with the ratchet-bars L3, secured to the guide-postL4, until the wire rope becomes broken or disengaged 5 in that casethestrap L1 descends, allowing the spring to force the dogs L2 intoengagement with the rack-bars L3, and thus prevent the falling of theelevator. M are pipes for carrying off the water condensed in thesteam-chests vand, cylinders. g3 are collars attached to therope G3,which are acted on by a ring-arm, g1, to draw the rope and stop theengine when the platform has reached its highest or lowest elevation.

I claim- Y l. The combination and arrangement vof check-rope G3, linksg, hubs g1, and arm G2, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination and arrangement of' check-rope G3, shaft G1, arm G2,armrG, link h3, reversing-lever H, stems h h1, forked arm h2, and valveC, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination and arrangement of check-rope G3, shaft G1, arm G2,grooved pulley K, cord lo, Weighted lever K1, and brakeband la', as andfor the purpose set forth.

4. The drum J2, mounted loosely on its shaft j, and provided withcircular ratchet-teeth j2, in combination with spring-dogs j1 and hubsJ3, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination and arrangement of check-rope G3, shaft G1, arm G2,grooved pulley K, cord lc, weighted lever K1, brake-band a, drum J2,ratchet j2, spring-dogs 71, hubs J3, and shaft j, as and for the purposeset forth.v

6. The dogs L2, pivoted in cross-bar L, in combination with the strapsL1, spring l, ratchet-bars L3, and guide-posts L4, as and for thepurpose set forth. In testimony of which invention I have hereunto setmy hand.

PETER W. MELLEN. Witnesses:

SAML. KNIGHT, ROBERT BURNs.

